AF&PA honors Washington state high school

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has presented Ocosta High School, Westport, Washington, with its 2014 School Recycling Award for Partnerships. The AF&PA’s award recognizes outstanding paper recycling programs in a range of different categories, including schools.

The school’s recycling program is a district-wide group effort with students at all grade levels, local businesses and the wider community participating.

In singling out Ocosta High School with the award, Jan Cleiland, recovered fiber manager at Northbrook, Illinois-based KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp., says, “AF&PA is proud to honor Ocosta High School’s recycling efforts with this year’s School Recycling Award for Partnerships. Not only do they educate students and the broader community about the importance of recycling, they’ve opened their program to those who do not have another opportunity to recycle.”

KapStone presented the award on behalf of AF&PA.

Ocosta High School established a paper recycling program in 1992. Since the program began, it has evolved from complete commingled materials to separately baling old corrugated containers (OCC) and mixed paper. The high school advertises and puts articles in the local newspaper to welcome local businesses to drop off OCC at the schol.

When the Port of Grays Harbor, Washington, closed down its recycling program, the high school offered to offered to establish a drop-off program for the community.

In light of the success of its program, Ocosta High School has added a third recycling bin to keep up with the incoming supply.